


Fruits & Flowers and Tattoos & Peircings

by Abendfalki



Category: Zootopia (2016)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Flower Shop, Alternate Universe - Flower Shop & Tattoo Parlor, Alternate Universe - Tattoo Parlor, F/M, Florists, Gen, Inspired by Zootopia (2016), no beta's we die like men
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-26
Updated: 2020-09-27
Packaged: 2021-03-06 00:33:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,086
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25524436
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Abendfalki/pseuds/Abendfalki
Summary: What if instead of dreaming to be a police officer in Zootopia Judy instead wanted to run a floral and fruit shop, that just so happens to sit across from a tattoo and piercing parlour run by Nick and Finnick.Inspired byThis tweet
Relationships: Judy Hopps/Nick Wilde
Comments: 36
Kudos: 59





	1. Chapter 1

“Youz know she’s just bein’ nice, Nick? Guys like you and I ain’t got no chance in hell with a girl like her.” The small fennec fox took a drag from his cigarette as he looked out the window at the grey rabbit with black ear tips waving towards their store.    
  
Nick Wilde’s ear flicked as he leaned up against the crumbling building. The jingle of the two earrings on his left ear rang out before he turned to his business partner. “Finn, I haven’t the slightest clue what you’re talkin’ about. I’m just being nice to another business owner across the street. Just waving is all.”    
  
“Nicky boy… it’s obvious you like her.” Finn took another drag and exhaled, a large cloud of smoke floating over the shop sign ‘Wilde Timez tattoo’s and piercings.’   
  
Indeed, to the casual observer, the two shops across the street couldn’t be more dichotomous to each other. On the on-side ‘Hopps fresh fruits and flowers’ a bright yellow, pink and green building with a large bay window showing off all the colourful flora inside. The building was considerably newer, having been built specifically for the business a few months back. Comparatively, ‘Wilde Timez’ was a much darker brick building, having been built just long enough ago to be showing considerable age, but not old enough to qualify for any heritage status that would at least allow some upkeep or even a fresh coat of paint.    
  
“So how many clients we got coming in today anyways?” Nick asked as he stepped back inside, rolling his eyes at his business partners antics.    


  
~~~~

  
  
“Must be scary having to work across from such…  _ miscreants, _ ” the female moose muttered as she looked out the windows towards the tattoo and piercing parlour.    
  
“Mrs Moosebridge! Please. They’re actually… well yeah okay they’re predators sure but… I think they’re okay. One of them was decent enough to welcome me to the neighbourhood and even gave me a free coupon to their store.” Judy Hopps defended, from her standing position on the counter as she pushed the large bag of apples, as big as her rabbit body, towards the cerivdae. The doe looked down towards her cash register, reminded of the “Free Piercing” coupon the red fox had given her when she opened last year. The coupon would of course never be used, at least not by Judy herself given how sensitive rabbit ears were.   
  
“Still if they give you any trouble… let me know. My husband works for the ZNN so… I could have them shut down with one bad news story,” Mrs Moosebridge chuckled, snapping Judy out of her thoughts.   
  
“But of course you can’t do anything about getting me cheaper advertising on the ZNN…” Judy rolled her eyes.    
  
“Different departments, unfortunately!” the moose shrugged. “Thanks for your apples as always. We do find they are so much better than the ones from Podunk. I guess you rabbits really do know how to grow them!”    
  
“We try! Thanks as always Mrs Moosbridge,” Judy smiled as the moose departed her store, the ringing of the bell above her door chiming.    
  
As Judy watched the large doe depart she couldn’t help but glance out over at the two foxes in front of their shop. “You know what. I should go say hi!”    


  
~~~~   


  
“Oh shit! She’s coming over!” Finnick hissed in hushed tones to Nick as he watched the small rabbit walk towards ‘Wilde Timez’. Her grey fur stood out in stark contrast to the pink undershirt and green apron she was wearing. Both of them were light pastel.    
  
“What was that about no chance in hell?” Nick sassed back at Finnick.    
  
“I still stand by what I said you twit.” Finnick spat back.  _ This dumbass is gonna get himself hurt again with her I just know it. It will be like Marienne all over again.  _ _  
_ _  
_ “Hi guys!” Judy waved and smiled at the two of them as she entered the shop. Although she was smiling, Finnick could tell it was an uneasy sort of smile and the hesitation in her opening of the store door confirmed it to him.    
  
“Hey!” Nick gave a two-finger half salute. “Looked like a big bag of apples that moose walked out with. Guess business is good eh Carrots?”    
  
“Carrots?” Judy cocked her head to the side, her ears falling laterally behind her as she did so.    
  
“Well you’re a rabbit, right? So you either like carrots or have a carrot farmer in your family. Just a nickname that made sense,” Nick shrugged.   
  
“Don think nuddin by it. Nicky boy here gives everyone  _ nick _ names. It’s a thing he does. Calls half our horned clients either “horns” “spikes” “points” or somethin’ else like that,” Finnick chuckled.    
  
“Ahhhh. Yeah I come from a carrot farming family I guess but… a nickname I guess. I just wasn’t expecting something so familiar from someone I have barely talked to, even if it is your thing... Anyways business is good! The moose is a regular of mine, her husband is some big ZNN news anchor.” Judy smiled. “Anyways I…”    
  
“Wait. There’s only ONE moose anchor on ZNN. You mean to tell me…  _ the _ wife of  _ the _ Peter Moosebridge shops at YOUR store.” Nick shook his head rapidly as his jaw half-opened.    
  
“Uhh I guess?” Judy shrugged. “I mean. She is Mrs Moosebridge so yes but he can’t be that big can he?”    
  
Nick looked back towards Finnick. The two of them sharing the same thought about backwoods bunnies and not knowing anything.    
  
“Anyways! Umm…” Judy scratched the side of her neck. “I wanted to thank the two of you for the coupon and the warm welcome. Really. You guys have been about the only business to… I don’t know really welcome me into the area. And definitely the only ones to give me a generous coupon, especially when it would be nice to have pretty jewellery in my ears like you guys... but… I can’t accept it!” Judy rushed out the last few words and held it upright with both paws in a bow.    
  
“An why not?” Finnick mused.    
  
“Yeah. Even if you don’t want your ears pierced feel free to give it to a family member or something.” Nick added.   
  
“Umm well, the thing is rabbit ears are really sensitive and I just I don’t think we rabbits can get our ears pierced,” Judy hesitated.    
  
“Oh. That’s simple then.” Nick went forward and clasped Judy’s hands over the coupon. “We, and I do mean  _ we  _ Finnick, will just have to do some research and find out how to pierce your ears. Surely there’s a gotta be a bunny or two out there with pierced ears.”    
  
Finnick saw the bunny shudder as Nick placed his paws over her own and quickly turned tail, quite literally and ran out of the store.    
  
“Well ya sure fucked that one up Nicky-boy.” Finnick shook his head.    
  
“I… What… Wait don’t you have a Hippo coming in for a Tattoo to get ready for!?” Nick went from confused to snarling at Finnick as he pointed to the back room before looking out at the bunny who ran back into her shop.   
  
“Fine… fine… but ya definitely screwed it up!” Finnick shook his head again as he jumped off the counter and headed to the back room.    
  


~~~~   


  
Judy Hopps quickly entered her store and flipped the sign to closed, hastily locking the door. The rabbit ran to the counter and opened up her phone with a patterned swipe of her paw, well-rehearsed after so many times. A number was quickly dialled and she put the phone on speaker.    
  
“Come on. Come on. Pick up Vi,” Judy said impatiently as she panted and looked at the ringing phone.    
  
“Judy! How’s my favourite entrepreneurial sister doing in her third month of opening? Need a loan already I guess?” Came the voice on the other end of the phone as it echoed throughout the store.    
  
“No. Vi! A fox touched me!” Judy babbled out.    
  
“WHAT!? Do I need to get the whole family there!? Dad WARNED you about them.” Vivian blurted out.    
  
“No… No Vi! Not like that. In a really... Really cute way kinda but like. THEY’RE so soft!” Judy stuttered out. “He runs that tattoo and piercing parlour I told you about? Well, I went over to return a coupon they gave me, but not really I just wanted to chat but uhh you know me and my paw in mouth issues. The whole time I was looking at him and his soft chest fur and how I just wanted to run my hands through that white streak of fur and then he just comes up to me and clasps his paws around the coupon and tells me to not return it… kinda. And it was so soft! It was just his paw fur which isn’t as thick as his chest. I think? But so so soft!”    
  
“Okay. So outside of the fact that my sister has potentially just told me she now is crushing on a predator… Why did you call me?”    
  
“Vi. Have you even seen a fox up close!? And no I am not crushing on him I barely know him Vi for frith’s sake. Purely scientific.” Judy pointed at the phone. “I don’t know what to do!?”   
  
“Right. My sister who removed all of the Midnicampum Holicithias flowers from her store because she felt guilty after she found out they were being used during the night-howler crisis, DOESN’T have a soft spot for predators. Mmmmhmmm.”    
  
“You know what Vi. I don’t even know why I called you.” Judy swiped the phone call closed abruptly and sighed. The rabbit shook her head before noticing a potential customer outside and looking up to wave and greet them as she headed to unlock the door.  _ Oh, Frith-rah! It’s Nick. I guess I just did run out on his store. Frith Frith FRITH-RAH think of an excuuuse Judy! _


	2. Chapter 2

“Hey, I’m sorry,” Judy spoke as she let the fox into her shop with an unlock of the door.    
  
“What. If Anything I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have well… grabbed you like that.” Nick spoke. “Honestly I’m a predator so I shouldn't… Well, make any sudden movements around prey animals right?”   
  
Nick found himself somewhat surprised as the rabbit backed up and crossed her arms, her foot tapped rapidly as she glared at him.    
  
“Trust me.” Judy sighed. “It had nothing to do with you being a predator. Well. It kinda did but not just being a…”    
  
“Uhh?” Nick tilted his head, his ears folding back.    
  
“It had to do with you being a fox,” Judy spoke the words so fast that Nick barely understood them. The rabbit was using her ears to cover herself and he was sure he saw the inner ear of hers turning a brighter pink.    
  
“Are you afraid of foxes?” Nick swallowed hard. “Cause… if that’s why you wanted to return the coupon I am more than glad to accept it back in that case…”   
  
“No! No! No!” Judy stopped grasping her ears and starting waving her hands quickly. “It has nothing to do with you being a scary fox, more just umm. Your fur.” Judy stuttered out.    
  
“My fur?” Nick now found himself more confused than ever. “What does my fur have to do with anything.”    
  
Judy inhaled and exhaled a few times before starting to speak. “I have never in my life touched a fox or felt your fur and when you clasped your hands around mine the difference in your fur just kinda… spooked me I guess. Not in a bad way mind you, it was just so coarse and thick and yet still soft. I panicked and well.” Judy started to chuckle. “I am a bunny so we are good at fight or flight. I chose flight clearly.”    
  
“Ohhhh.” Nick found himself starting to laugh. “Yeah, I’ve gotten that before from other preds. Here… there’s one way to get all of that out of her system.”    
  
Nick paused for a second… unsure if he wanted to do what he was about to do as both an experiment and a test. Ultimately the tod decided to just go for it and removed his tank top holding it in his hand, now standing in Judy’s shop shirtless. He threw his arms wide open.    
  
“Here. Come hug me. Just get it all out of your system in one go right?” Nick exhaled quickly.  _ Bold and stupid and typically you. _ _   
_   
“I… Wh…” Judy stuttered for a moment.    
  
Nick watched as the rabbit stuttered, her ears shooting right up and this time he noticed the insides of those long ears were definitely turning bright pink.  _ Ah got it so rabbits blush in their ears so that explains the sensitivity... _ Before Nick had any further time to think on any aspects of rabbit psychology he felt, much to his surprise, the soft and thick facial fur of Judy against his chest.    
  
“Woooow,” Judy murmured. “It’s so coarse but still soft… how?”    
  
“Yeah,” Nick chuckled to himself. “Different species right?” _ By Inari her fur is soo short but thick and so soft itself woooow.  _ _   
_   
Nick soon felt a paw running down his back as the rabbit continued to hug. “Uhhhh Carrots?! A bit too much there with…”    
  
“Oh frith!” Judy broke the hug and stepped back. “Sorry I got carried away!” The rabbit exhaled and Nick put his shirt back on.    
  
“So we good now?” Nick chuckled. “Now you know everything about fox fur and that it’s not scary right!?”   
  
“Yeah…” Judy giggled in reply. “Although really just ripping your shirt off in my store? Glad I didn’t get a customer.”    
  
“Hey. I am a big tattooed and pierced fox. I gotta live on the edge a bit.” Nick returned to a regular laugh. “Anyways... You used to have some really cool looking purple flowers in here. Where did they go.”    
  
“Umm…” Judy sighed and paused.    
  
“Did I say something bad? Oh god after I just got back on your good side!” Nick found himself panicking internally.    
  
“You remember the bulbs that got stolen by that weasel?” Judy’s speaking was suddenly slow and very deliberately toned.   
  
“Yeah, Duke Weaselton… I know him, I know everyone. Finnick and I actually banned him from our shop because of that. And because, well he’d only come in really to look at our tattoo examples and never really spent anything. Shifty fellow.” Nick chuckled.    
  
“You. Because of me?” Judy smiled.    
  
“Yeah, businesses gotta stick together ya know.” Nick shrugged. “We gotta have each others back. Plus we really wanted a reason to ban him and, him going after a business across from us really gave us a solid reason…”   
  
“That’s… that’s actually kinda sweet. But anyways.” Judy’s nose twitched. “Those bulbs he stole were of a crocus varietal called Mindicampum Hollisiphamus.”    
  
“Wow that’s a four-dollar word,” Nick blinked a few times.    
  
“Yeah but they go by another name,” Judy paused. “Nighthowlers.”    
  
Nick gasped. “You mean the flowers that were causing predators to go savage. Duke Weaselton was stealing so…” Nick felt the anger inside him boiling up.    
  
“Yeah. Sorry,” Judy looked away.    
  
“No?! You don’t apologize! I’m gonna get Finnick to fucking smash that weasels face in with his baseball bat. That’s despicable that not only did he steal from you, but it was also to harm preds like him!” Nick growled and panted   
  
“Uhhhhh.” Judy jumped up on the counter and dangled her feet as she sat, looking away. “I don’t think he really knew. At least that’s what Jack Savage, the ZPD officer who ended up cracking the case told me. Anyways… When all of it was going on I was terrified.”    
  
“All of?” Nick inquired, mentally chiding himself for cutting the rabbit off.    
  
“The whole nighthowler thing. I was terrified. I had just moved in and now I had to worry about being across from two foxes. I thought. What if you and Finnick went savage. And it hurt me inside because you and him were so nice when I just moved in. I could see it was affecting you guys too because I didn’t see you outside smoking or just relaxing.” Judy paused and composed herself. “And when I found out it was all a part of one of my own prey’s grand plans to try to keep nice predators like you down I got so upset. I just got so upset. I thought to myself I wouldn’t ever be able to call myself a good person if I carried those horrible, disgusting flowers that caused so much damage to this city, in my shop. So I removed them and won’t carry them. I thought of keeping some for myself in a small garden in the back but, still too risky.”    
  
Nick found his eyes starting to water and the gesture from this small bunny that he hadn’t even realized about. “Judy.”    
  
“Mmmhmm.”    
  
“Firstly. Even a rose has thorns.” Nick tapped the rose tattoo around his arm. “So just because something can be used maliciously doesn’t mean you shouldn’t carry it. Especially because I heard in the news they had to be distilled down to increase the potency. Although I will say this…. If you ever do decide to grow them again. Finn and I would like some. Would be badass and a conversation piece to have them in our shop. Just the right amount of edginess for our shop!”   
  
“Badass.” Judy suddenly laughed and shook her head. “You really DO run a tattoo parlour to say something like that.”    
  
Nick simply threw his hands up in a shrug. “Anyways, if you are serious about wanting your ears pierced… Finn and I will look into it. We will figure out a way or I’ll eat a whole nighthowler bulb.”    
  
“Please don’t.” Judy giggled. “I really wouldn’t want to have to watch the ZPD tranq you, in my shop no less.”   
  
“I’ll do it! Anyways see ya fluff butt.” Nick waved in a half salute, smiling at the still giggling rabbit as he departed the shop.  _ By Inari did I just have a… normal conversation with a prey mammal… a small rabbit no less?! _   
  


~~~~

  
“So how’d it go loverboy?” Finnick joked as Nick entered the shop.   
  
“Really well actually!” Nick sassed back at the small desert fox.    
  
“Ohhh suuuuure it did,” Finnick chuckled. “So you kiss her with that mouth of yours?”    
  
“Finnick. F off.” Nick shook his head and lightly pushed the smaller fox’s head. 


End file.
